


I'll Make You Proud

by Rivie_writes



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Basically just a weird idea I had, Life of crime headcannon, M/M, Military School, blood mentions, kinda angsty, klance, light Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 16:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8379139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivie_writes/pseuds/Rivie_writes
Summary: Keith listens when Lance tells him about his past. Lance delves into his personal history to shed some light on why he has a hard time coping with being far away from home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick one-shot that might turn into a slow burn series. Enjoy~

Lance looked at his hand that was now covered in blood. Where did his life go wrong? How did he fall so far? His mother’s disappointed face flashed before his eyes. He could practically hear his siblings crying over him.

Luckily, his attacker knew when to call it quits. Lance was sure he dislocated his elbow, broken his nose, and bruised his abdomen so he would be clutching his side as he limped back to where the hell he came from.

Lance didn’t come out of the fight unscathed either. He had a fresh cut on his shoulder. His assailant aimed for his face, but missed, causing the blade to go into his left shoulder, ruining his favorite hoodie. His mom bought him a green and orange one the other day. It would probably make her happy if he wore it. Might get her to lighten up on the punishment he was sure to receive for getting into another fight.

The teenager placed his head in his hands and groaned. He was not ready to deal with his family but he knew he would have to face the music eventually. He pulled himself off the ground and trudged home.

His parents’ reaction was worse than he could imagine. After they took him to the hospital to get his wound stitched up, the following night they made an announcement.

Military school.

Lance McClain was off to military school. He should run away. He shouldn’t have to be forced into that kind of life. Sure, he didn’t exactly have a big plan but he could make it on his own. He was just a burden to his family anyway.  

Lance had packed a bag and was ready to leave in the dead of night, but a noise stopped him. He heard someone crying softly in the kitchen. He peeked through the archway, being careful to not be spotted, to see his mother crying with a glass of wine in one hand, and her phone in the other.

“I just didn’t know what to do. I love him so much and it hurts to see him go down that path. That’s why I’m sending him away. I’ve failed as a mother,” she sobbed, probably to Lance’s aunt.

There was a pain in his chest. It hurt to see his mother like that and it stung even more to know that he was the one who caused her to feel that way.

Lance dropped his bag audibly and stood in the center of the archway. His mother gasped at the sight of him and quickly told his aunt that she’d call her back.

“Lance! Were you-“

“Mom. I’m sorry.” Lance could feel tears welling in his eyes as he spoke. “Don’t think for a moment that you’re the one that failed me. I failed you. I- I know what I do- did. What I did was wrong,” he stuttered out, trying to find the correct words.

“I’m going to go to military school and I’m going to come back someone you can be proud of,” he declared and his mother covered her mouth and tears flowed out of her eyes in small rivulets.

They looked at each other in silence for a moment. After seeing his mother cry, he became filled with determination. He’ll be in a school where no one knows him and could start fresh. He could finally be who he wants to be and find his own path.

His mother embraced him. “You know I just want what’s best for you, right?”

“I know,” Lance said, returning his mother’s embrace. He did his best not to cry into her shoulder. She smelled like home and he had no idea when he would be home again.

 

 

A week later, after his stiches were removed and the doctor said he was good to go, he was sent off by bus to Avery’s Military School.

He said goodbye to his family and his siblings promised to write him every single day. “Guys, you hate writing. If you write every single day, I will eat my jacket,” Lance joked in an attempt to hide his grief. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye, but this wasn’t really the kind of thing anyone could be ready for. He just had to do it.

“Be prepared to send us a video of that, then,” his sister said, sticking her tongue out. “He will not, I just bought that jacket for him and he looks too handsome in it. I’ll buy him a cheap hoodie to eat,” his mom teased and everyone laughed for a moment before the atmosphere became quiet and awkward.

“Okay, I guess this is goodbye then. I’ll write you guys when I get there,” Lance promised.

“You better,” his mom said with a small smile. He suddenly wished his dad was there to see him off. He didn’t have a great relationship with the man but still, you go see your son off to military school.

Lance climbed onto the bus and took a window seat in the middle. He looked around at the other teens. He gulped, thinking that some of them looked more troubled than he was, but he wasn’t trying to not be quick with judging a book by its cover.

He looked out the window and pressed his face up against the glass and slid down so his nose would look like a pig nose and he stuck his tongue out. That was a mistake because he accidentally licked the window, but it was worth it to see his sibling’s reaction. His little brother was practically rolling on the ground laughing.

He smiled at the sight as the bus drove him away. He would come back someone they could depend on and that they could look up to. Lance promised himself that he wouldn’t disappoint any of them ever again.

 

\---------------------------

“So, is that it?” Keith asked. He was listening to Lance talk about his teenage years while everyone else was sleeping so they had the large circular couch in the lounge area to themselves. It was quiet and peaceful in the Castle of Lions. How they got on this angst-ridden topic, he’ll never know but he wasn’t complaining. He wanted to know Lance better and if the blue paladin was willing to share, he was willing to listen.

“Well, of course there’s more to the story. But I guess the reason I have such a hard time letting go is because I finally became someone Mom could be proud of. I wanted her to see me do more with my life and I eventually found my passion in flying,” Lance sighed out. “She was so proud, the last time I talked to her. And now she may never know what happened to me.”

Keith wasn’t sure what to say to this. He wasn’t exactly the best at comforting. “I suppose you can take comfort in knowing that you’re keeping them safe. It’s what I do,” he offered.

“Yeah, I know. But it’s still just,” Lance started before trailing off, leaving his thought unfinished. It was still clearly painful to think about. Keith scooted closer to him and put his hand over Lance’s. “You could just think of us as your temporary family, you know, until you go home?” Keith said, knowing that Lance knew full and well that they might never go home but the thought might comfort him, albeit temporarily.

Lance hummed in thought and leaned his shoulder against Keith’s. “You know it’s ironic. Technically we’re going against an empire that rules most of the galaxy. Even though they’re evil and mad with power, we’re technically criminals.”

Lance sighed and Keith’s heart started beating fast at their closeness. He cherished this little moments between them, though nothing more had sparked past these light touches. Keith was waiting for Lance. Lance had a lot to figure out and cope with, but luckily for him, the red paladin was a patient man.

 

“I wonder if Mom would still be proud if she knew that I couldn’t ever really escape a life of crime.”

**Author's Note:**

> So basically, my new headcannon for Lance and how someone with such a wonderful, colorful personality found his way into flying in the garrison is that he was getting into some pretty hardcore criminal activity in his teen years and his parents sent him off to Military school. If I continue this as a series, I'll go deeper into what Lance had his hands into and his transformation into how he became a paladin worthy of the blue lion, and of course some Klance, but this one shot is the best I can scrounge up before NaNo. ^-^ I literally just thought of this today and I'm not sure if something like this has been done before, but I hope you liked it!


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